British Rail Class 33 Diesel Locomotive

Climb aboard Southern Region’s BRCW Type 3 and learn more about where you can get up close and personal with it today.

BRCW Type 3

The British Rail Class 33 Diesel Locomotive – also known as the BRCW Type 3 – is a Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive built for BR Southern Region between 1960 and 1962. In all, a total of 98 engines were built at the works of Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon.

A sub-class of 12 locomotives were built with a narrower body for use on the Hastings line.

South & South Eastern Routes

The locomotives initially saw service across South and South Eastern routes and even travelled – as freight engines – as far afield as Lanarkshire.

Rail Tour Service

Today, most of the locos have been withdrawn, although some preserved examples are in rail tour service with West Coast Railway Company and Cotswold Rail. Other Class 33s are still in operation on heritage railways.

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AKA

Posted on Wednesday 4th May 2011 | 4:19 PM

They were also known as "Cromptons" because they were fitted with Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment

Caroline Elliot

Class 33

Posted on Wednesday 12th September 2012 | 1:10 PM

Driving 33s for many years was a pleasure they were rugged pulling 1000ton cement trains and passenger serrvices the only fault was rough riding
never leave a cup of tea on the control panel